


Reunion

by mother_hearted



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Mass Effect 2, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-02
Updated: 2012-05-02
Packaged: 2017-11-04 16:48:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/396031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mother_hearted/pseuds/mother_hearted
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Missed your smart mouth."</p><p>"You were dead."</p><p>"Yeah. All that quiet didn't seem right."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> Gender ambiguous Shepard. 2nd person POV.

"Heading off, Joker?"

"Yeah, minus the blue bug in the system, my baby's running smooth."

Hm.

"Why don't you come up for a bit?"

"An invitation to the captain's quarters this late at night? Can't decide if that's classy or trashy."

"Sounds like my helmsman, uniformed and capped."

He huffs a laugh, tugging on the brim of his hat before starting his way down the bridge. 

"Since you sweet talked me, I guess I've got time."

"Like old times?"

You want to know what page you're on, haven't been able to figure it out since you came back. 

"What, sitting around and mocking your attempts at even just foot-tapping to your stereo? I could do that in my sleep."

It's your turn to laugh, startled but pleased. 

You feel an urge to bring him closer, you match his shuffling, hook an arm around his waist, fingers slipping through belt loops. You feel his weight sink and press to your side, not a burden, just muscle and warm skin. 

He snorts, a friendly sound but a warning of impending Joker snark.

"What, you gonna haul me up and away like a package?"

"Could swing you over my shoulder, fit you in place of my grenade launcher. Have you traveling first class."

"Yeah, thanks commander. I'll be real helpful at the end of the night when I'm in pieces so small even the dust down in engineering covers more surface area than me."

"Missed your smart mouth."

"You were dead."

"Yeah. All that quiet didn't seem right."

"I was talking plenty when i got grounded, believe me."

The elevator door opens with a hiss, Joker doesn't move from your side. Arm still curled around him, you select the top level and listen to the whirl of the elevator sending you up a level. 

You enter your room, doors closing shut behind you clearly in the silence. 

"Lofty up here," he says and you nod. It's almost too big, pointless considering the minimal amount of time you spend here. Even when you're on the Normandy you spend your hours in the armory, the CIC, visiting crew, letting everyone take a shot at you because it's important not to just _see_ their commander, but _know_ their commander, as much as anyone can know you anyway. You aren't an open book - no matter how many times you insist you're just a soldier, just a soldier like all the rest. 

"You're getting locked in your head again."

Except this man can read you, far too well. 

After everything that's happened? 

It's a comfort.

"Hah, got that look on your face. like you're going down the list of all the galaxy's problems after it was hand delivered to you. Can't say i blame you, it's the only way you can get time to yourself but that's just you, isn't it? You spread yourself so thin it's a wonder you have time to breathe."

"You got an extra lung for me, Joker?"

"You're asking the wrong guy about body parts. Hell, I don't even know your body anymore."

He looks away after that, eyes too bright, too wide. You feel the fragile history between you, all the hours spent on the bridge, the missions and insanity, the late nights where shoulders brushed and his mouth was pliable and warm. 

He watched you get spaced but didn't doubt when you came back, extra parts and all. 

Whatever happened before, Jeff "Joker" Moreau is waiting now and you don't want to keep him waiting any longer. 

"You never had a chance to. What about now?"

"Commander. Shepard."

"Careful. My bed's not as soft as it looks."

He shakes his head, face in light exasperation.

"Just what i need, a bruise from a mattress all up my back." But he's already turned and moving, showing you that broad back. There's a quiet moment when you watch him sit down on your bed, stretching out his legs before easing himself onto his back. The sheets untuck themselves when you move on your knees over him, keeping your weight off him. you hover, snatching the cap off his head and watch his eyes open up wider. 

You aren't touching him at all but you've never felt closer.

His hands come up to touch your face, fingers brushing scares before his thumb rests on your lips, drawing down and dragging your bottom lip with it. His hands are rough and dry, familiar, for once you feel an ache that isn't caused by the synthetics resting underneath your skin.

You touch him back, firm enough to really _feel_ , his cheek, his neck, his collarbone and clavicle, the smooth bump of his pectoral. 

"Shepard."

"Yeah?"

"It's nothing new, just the usual glass bones under there. Same old pain in the ass."

You get the hint, decide to settle on your back next to him before rolling him on top of you. 

"Just like you."

He gives a grin, corners of his eyes crinkling. 

"Keep that up and "'m gonna mistake that for a proposal one of these days."

"I'm not that crazy."

You kiss him before he can reply, the banter lost between your mouths crushed together, eager and firm and just what you both need. His hands settle on your shoulders. The heat of his body stretched out on top of you sinks into your skin, makes your heart thrum like the walls of the ship in your chest. 

You spend the night kissing his lips, sucking on his tongue, licking at the roof of his mouth. His hands roam your body and you hiss when he presses too close, let him know the new parts of you, the edge of your ribcage, the fourth vertebrae along your spine. 

It won't be long before he knows his commander like the back of his hand once again.


End file.
